That's what I used to think ... until I discovered the joy of the corncob.
What's The Deal With Falcon Pipes?
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That's what I used to think ... until I discovered the joy of the corncob.
I think the best thing about the Falcon design is the draft is inherently a mini-reverse calabash, and gurgle is practically impossible.
If too much moisture ever does collect in the chamber under the bowl you can just twist off the bowl and fling the water out.
Or if you want a filter then Filter Rings are VERY easy to make out of pipe cleaners.
I can see the Falcon being the best choice for many beginners.
If too much moisture ever does collect in the chamber under the bowl you can just twist off the bowl and fling the water out.
Or if you want a filter then Filter Rings are VERY easy to make out of pipe cleaners.
I can see the Falcon being the best choice for many beginners.
Falcons are neat. I've never tried one, but being a Kirsten smoker, I tip my hat to Falcon. Those were the original "system pipes," through the years countless others appeared, and those two have stood the test of time.
After using mine for a couple weeks now what I don’t like is clenching the mouthpiece. Sort of hurts my teeth or jaw for some reason, has a bit of give compared to acrylic mouthpieces.
Those are cool! They’re pretty proud of the little buggers though.It's a H. Wiebe Radiator pipe.
More info here:
Anyone Own A Hector Wiebe Radiator Pipe? :: Pipe Talk
I'm quite interested in the H. Wiebe radiator pipes. Not sure why, but I love the way they look and how they are interchangeable, much like a Falcon. I have been on the fence for a Falcon for some time, but keep putting it off. I may still get one some day, but I discovered the radiator pipes...pipesmagazine.com
Buy here:
Radiator Pipes by H. Wiebe available - TobaccoPipes.com
Radiator Pipes are innovative stainless steel and briar pipes from Hector Wiebe. Choose your frame and bowl at TobaccoPipes.com.www.tobaccopipes.com
I was skeptical, traded for a couple and absolutely love em. Excellent smokers.
Had a couple of them. Nice cool smokers. Lost them in a divorce and missing box of pipes and a ton of aged tobaccos. ?
That’s brutal when she takes the pipes and tobacco too! The dog, yeah sure, but not the pipes and tobacco! My condolences, brother. ?
Thank you for kind words. Still haven’t built my collection or tobacco store back up. However, I came out better on the other side sans tobacco and pipes ?.
The newer ones have harder nylon but mine eventually settle into my teeth with just a little “chatter”. I smoke them often though. Persevere!
If I’m in Ohio I’ll keep an eye out for a wealthy woman smoking a pipe.
Yes I agree that's the only downside to them, the older models had mouthpieces which were much superior. I also find them strange when new but if you stick at it I'm sure you won't notice. I have heard a rough sandpapering helps but never got round to trying it.
LMAO!!! More like smashed, trashed or pawned LOL
I use "Softie Bits" on my Falcon bits, helps quite a bit when clenching.
Agreed. It's too bad that Kirsten doesn't enter the 21st Century and update their website so you could buy one online without a fax machine or a smoke signal fire.... Maybe that's how they have to do it being in Washington? I bet with a few hundred spent on a website they would be SWAMPED with sales... I mean seriously, how HARD is it to add a "Buy It Now" button??
I have an "M" (Mariner) of theirs and it's a pretty good smoker!
Sorry for your loss. That might be the saddest thing I’ve read on this forum.
I’ve never tried a Falcon, but I love how the Kirsten Designer looks. I don’t like how their website is set up for ordering, they don’t answer emails, I’m not calling them because I’m deaf and it’s a giant pain in the ass, and I’m certainly not driving the 2 hours up to Seattle either because driving and parking in that city adds a whole new plane of meaning to the word “suck”.
I did find a couple restored/new old stock ones on DK’s site, though, and I ended up grabbing both. I plan to swap the stems and bowls between them so they’ll match up much better. If Kirsten ever gets back to me or DK ends up listing a black Designer, that’ll complete my trifecta.
I did find a couple restored/new old stock ones on DK’s site, though, and I ended up grabbing both. I plan to swap the stems and bowls between them so they’ll match up much better. If Kirsten ever gets back to me or DK ends up listing a black Designer, that’ll complete my trifecta.
Here's the scoop on Kirsten:
Many years ago, the gigantic stock of parts they got made ran low. Trying to get more, all their machinists had retired. The family members all decided to let Kirsten fade away, except Stacy Thresher, who stepped in. It takes a lot of time and effort to get parts produced, and it's only her organizing the work and finding people to do it. Once done, it's also only her taking orders and shipping them. There's never enough business that she's able to keep more full-time people to do these things.
She's done several runs of pipes, but they tend to be limited in size. Right now, she's run out again, and she can't get another run because of Covid. In particular, her stem maker, in Italy, was an elderly man whose daughter is a hospital worker; Italy was hit hard, and she hasn't had luck contacting him, so doesn't know if he's even around now.
Naturally. That’s what happens when a business makes it harder for customers to give them their money than it has to be, insists on manufacturing things the hard and expensive way for no compelling reason, operates in a tobacco-hating city with an extremely high cost of living, in a state that absolutely hates tobacco and taxes the everloving shit out of businesses that have anything to do with tobacco, and then charges these businesses extortionate fees for the privilege just to reinforce the point. I mean...they couldn’t possibly have made things any harder on themselves if they tried.
Don’t get me wrong, I love everything about Kirsten pipes from their looks to their history, but there are a ton of things they could potentially do to improve their situation if they really wanted to. Stacy Thrasher just chooses not to do them, which is her prerogative. ?
So, move to another state, and export manufacturing to China? Sorry, but your response sure was jam-packed full of harsh snark. I get it, I do, but c'mon. That's what she'd have to do, per your suggestions.
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